John S. Bennett

John S. Bennett

"Co-founder of the Cordoba Initiative. He is also Senior Program Advisor to the Garrison Institute, an institution dedicated to applying the wisdom of contemplative traditions to issues of civil society.

"Between 1991 and 1999, Mr. Bennett served four terms as mayor of Aspen, Colorado. In this role he worked to build affordable housing, control suburban sprawl, preserve the environment, support the arts & humanities, and create an innovative transportation system offering alternatives to the single occupant automobile. In doing so, he presided over a $40 million budget, which produced a surplus in every year of his administration.

"From 1999 to 2001, Mr. Bennett was Vice President of the Aspen Institute. In that role, he instigated a number of groundbreaking initiatives, including the 50th Anniversary Symposium, which convened a diverse group of Nobel Prize winners, heads of state, and other world leaders from the fields of business, religion, art and academia to discuss globalization and its effects on humanity. He also helped create an acclaimed education program, The Aspen Institute High School Great Ideas Seminar: The Good Life and the Good Society, which remains active and successful today.

"Before embarking on his career of public service, Mr. Bennett was a successful businessman, founding and operating a small chain of restaurants in Colorado, Texas and Mexico."